Flirting With Danger
by marvelousnorth
Summary: Halle is content with her job as a S.H.E.I.L.D. agent. Until a certain god of michief shows up and turns her world upside down COMPLETED
1. Halle Rhodes

**Hey guys. This is my first time writing fanfiction so I hope you enjoy! Stay tuned for sequels!**

A buzz of excitement filled me as I once again walked through the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility in New Mexico. My boots clicked as I walked down the hallway and my nervous hands played with the pockets on my jumpsuit. Though this was not my first assignment, 0-8-4's continued to amaze me. I remembered the stories my parents, both agents, would tell me about magical things they would find on the job, even if they described it through fairy tales to my naive mind.

"Hey," commented a voice to my left, "you look nervous. Anything up?"

"What?" I answered, baffled. "No, I'm excited. Aren't you?"

The body connected to the voice stroked his fingers through his chocolate hair, his blue eyes making contact with mine at the exact same moment our fingers touched.

"Yep," his lips curled into a warm smile as his arm pulled me close.

A voice snapped. "Agent Sumner, Agent Rhodes, you're needed," a leading officer snapped and Summy and I continued down the hallway.

As one of the leading combat agents my job was to do all the dirty work. I didn't think much about becoming a secret agent until I spent four years in China, and picked up mixed martial arts. S.H.I.E.L.D. took notice of me when I got caught up in a mission with my brother (also an agent) and offered me a job. My parents were so proud that their only daughter would be going into a field they approved of. But my parents understood little of my new duties, both being scientists for S.H.I.E.L.D. They never understood how someone could get and adrenalin rush from anything other than numbers or chemicals. But I do love my job. It's almost kind of fun taking out the bad people, even if sometimes they're not even people at all.

Summy and I turned left into a room filled with agents. With a pat on my shoulder, Summy left my side and walked to join his other communications agents. There was a table in the middle of the room and at the head of the table stood a very professional Agent Phil Coulson.

"Now," started Coulson, silencing the room, "I bet you're all dying to know the details of last nights little fiasco with the maniac."

Everyone tensed, remembering the details of the wet night.

"I can assure you we have sedated the man and he is in our containment facility," said Coulson calmly.

"Is this why you called us in, sir?" asked a woman in aviation. "To discuss some psychopath?"

"Not at all, Agent Jennings," answered Coulson, the same cool expression on his face. "We are here to discuss the 0-8-4 or object of unknown origin. Clearly it is unlike anything our scientists have ever seen. We're going to assemble a team to gather up any information they can about this object."

Ugh. History and reading. Not my area of expertise. Once Coulson closed with a warning to steer clear of the man who had damaged our facility last night, we were free to go. It wasn't until Summy's and mine's fingers intertwined when I realized I was going to have a lot of extra time on my hands.

"Since we both have the afternoon off," whispered Summy in my ear, " why don't we go window shopping downtown and see if you see anything that would contribute to our wedding?"

Ah yes, the wedding. The sheer word sent shivers down my spine. In a mere two months, I would be marrying the love of my life: James Phillip Sumner.

"Are you sure you don't want to know more about the man that broke in?" I asked. "It sounds so exciting!"

Summy stopped in the hallway. "Halle, that man is dangerous. You heard Coulson, we should stay away."

"But just a little peek-"

"Halle!"

I sighed heavily. He never let me have any fun. "Fine we can look at wedding stuff."

"I'll miss you until then," he said, smiling the same smile he shot me the evening we first met. As we departed, I couldn't help feeling a little annoyed. But I should have seen it coming, Summy was the last person who wanted to be around anything adventurous or dangerous. It took me longer than usual to get my room key out of my pocket and into the lock, as I went through a list of things in my head that I should've said to him. With all this lack of focus, I didn't notice the sound of footsteps walking behind me. They were heavy but graceful, like a man with poise. I turned around to see a tall man standing not six inches from my face.


	2. An Unexpected Visitor

My first instinct was to punch his face, but if hit here was anything I learned as a combat agent, it was to use action only when appropriate. So instead, I steadied my breathing and asked, "can I help you?"

"You certainly can try."

Suddenly, his lips were on mine as he pushed me into my room. I was so taken aback that I made no move to stop it until I reached for my purse, and with one swing, he was out cold. It took me several minutes to regain my composure and go over what had just happened. As I thought, my eyes wandered to where the man's limp body lay on the ground, and I felt and unfamiliar weakness flush through my body. He was handsome, but in a different way than Summy. His slicked back hair was as dark as night with an aura of danger to it. The paleness of his skin portrayed a timidness as he lay on the ground, which was in stark contrast with his hair. With one look at his dark trench coat and green scarf, I knew he wasn't an agent. So, with my heart still pounding from when he kissed me, I tied him to a chair in the corner of my room. Equip with a cup of water and a gun, I was determined to find out who this violated was.

He sputtered to life again as he attempted to wipe the water from my cup off his face. Realizing his hands were tied, the man's sharp eyes turned to me and a smile crept onto his face.

"You've got more fire in you than I thought," he said, obviously commenting at the gun I was pointing at him. " I like fire."

"Who are you?" I asked, trying to hide the anger that boiled inside of me.

"Did I forget to introduce myself, Darling?" He asked. After receiving no answer he said "I am Loki, of Asgard."

_Asgard_? I thought. _Is that some town in Europe?_ But I didn't let these questions plague my focus. "Why are you here?"

"Oh," Loki replied, slowly," let's just say I had some family business to take care of."

His calm smile seemed almost psychotic as I tighten the grip on my gun. "Why were you outside my bedroom?"

He paused, and his smile vanished from his face. His eyes looked up slowly. "only because you are the most beautiful woman in all the nine realms."

On the outside, my expression was hard, but on the inside, I was blushing profusely. "You don't even know me."

"Nor do I need to," he said. "when I first arrived and gazed upon you, I knew I had to meet you."

"Well here I am," I said, lowering my gun and gesturing to myself. "What now?"

He licked his lips in a way I almost couldn't resist. "I'm prepared to make you a deal."

Suddenly I was confused. "A deal for what? What do you want?"

His eyes never strayed from mine. "You."

A small gasp escaped my lips as I regretted lowering my gun. Aside from the fact that I was altogether terrified and creeped out, it felt good to be wanted this badly. Sure, Summy was great, but this was over the top.

"I want you to come back to Asgard with me," Loki continued. "It is ever so lonely ever since my dear brother was banished."

"And if I refuse?"

His psychotic smile came back even though I could see sadness in his eyes. "I have a feeling you're not going to."

"How would you know that?"

He nodded towards the gun. "You could've killed me the instant you knocked me unconscious. But you didn't, you were curious." I blinked, realizing he was right. "You're curious about me and where I come from. If you come with me, all your questions will be answered."

"How about this deal," I retorted. "How about I turn you over to S.H.E.I.L.D., and I'll continue on my way?" My expression hopely showed more confidence than I felt.

"Oooh," Loki admired. "You know, one day that fire will get you into trouble."

Then, with a sparkle of green mist, Loki disappeared from the chair. I felt a pair of hands grab me from behind. And then I blacked out.


	3. The Agreement

When I awoke, it was night. I could tell because I was laying face-up on the ground pf the New Mexico desert. As soon as I realized where I was, I jumped to my feet, ready to attack.

"Good darling, you're awake," a familiar accent observed. "It's not good to travel between realms unconscious."

My rage boiled inside of me. "You want to let me know what the hell that was all about? You kidnapped me! Summy's probably got all of S.H.E.I.L.D. running around!" Then I stopped to look around, seeing no sign of society and realized that I was in the middle of nowhere with a pyschopath.

I stomped over to where Loki was sitting on the ground, grabbed the front of his shirt and ulled it close to my face. "Take me back, now."

"If I must," sighed Loki, clearly defeated. He made a motion to stand up, but suddenly stopped. "It's just that there are no women in Asgard like you."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," I growled.

Loki continued, dismissing my remark. "The loneliness I have felt is something no one should ever feel. My hope was for you to accompany me and fill this void in my heart."

I should've turned around. I should've turned and kept walking and gone back to my comfortable life with Summy. My worries would only entail when my next mission was and what color the flowers would be at my wedding. That would have been the smart decision.

"But why me, Loki?" I asked, feeling weird using his name. "There are lenty of women on this earth. I'm not that special."

"You say there are plenty of maidens in this realm," said Loki, raising to his feet, "but why are you the only one I see?"

This time, I couldn't hide the color swarming to my cheeks, and Loki saw it too.

"So," I asked, slowly, "if I were to visit Asgard with you, how long would I stay?"

"Eternally, at best," answered Loki.

I was taken aback. "How about no."

Loki's eyes dropped. My stomach twisted with what I was about to say.

"I'll stay twenty-four hours, but that's it."

Loki's eyes lit up and I couldn't believe what I'd said. I was accompanying a man I'd never met to a land I'd never heard of. But if I'd learned anything from working at S.H.E.I.L.D., it was that the supernatural was often true. After all, Loki was right, I was curious. And I had my years of combat training incase he tried to make a move.

"So," he said, "you'll come?"

"I suppose so," I answered. No sooner had I answered when two unexpected things happened. The first being that Loki suddenly pulled my body close to his and shouted something into the sky. The second was seeing the lights of a black SUV engulf us and watching Summy exit the car and come racing towards us.

"Halle!" he cried, sprinting towards us.

But the sound of my name was soon muffled by the sound of an explosion mixed with wind chimes. Loki and I were surrounded by rainbow shards of light and my feet left the ground. I looked down, and saw nothing as we hurdled through, what felt like, space and time. I didn't realize how tightly I was clutching Loki's torso but I didn't care considering I was scared out of my mind.

In a few short seconds, our ride ended and we arrived in a room filled with gold colored glass with nothing in it except for a black man holding a very large sword. But before I addressed the man, I turned to Loki, who was unphased by our method of travel.

"What the hell was that? Where are we?" I screamed breathlessly.

"I told you, we are in Asgard."

"But why did we have to take the freakin' Rainbow Road to get here?" I asked, still astonished. "Here I thought we'd be taking a car, or a bus. Even walking would be less weird."

"It's called the Bifrost," said Loki, putting his arm on my shoulder. "It is the only way to travel between realms."

"You keep mentioning these 'realms'," I said.

"All will be explained," calmed Loki as we made our way towards the exit.

"You should not have brought her," said the man with the sword who had shown no movement since we'd arrived.

"It was not your decision, Hindalh," retorted Loki through gritted teeth. He pulled me closer and we exited the Bifrost into the night.


	4. Welcome to Asgard

The thrill of the Bifrost was nothing compared to Asgard. Though it was nightime, the city glowed with thousands of lights and buzzed with the sound of people's voices; this place was far from asleep. I didn't get much chance to look around before Loki whisked me off to the largest building in the center of Asgard.

"This is amazing," I said in awe, stepping off our flying boat and onto the balcony of one of the rooms. "This could be a castle!"

"It is," Loki smiled, him too disembarking the vessel.

"Then that must make you a king," I said, with gathering excitement.

"Prince, actually," he corrected.

I turned to look out onto the cityscape. "How could you ever be lonely in such a place. I'm sure everyone adores you."

"It's easier than you know," he said. I felt his breath on my shoulder and the heat of his torso on my back. He put one hand on my arm and the other around my hip, and we stood there gazing out upon the cityscape. As Loki's lips began to make contact with my neck, I suddenly remembered Summy.

"Well," I said, pulling away. "This has been a weird day so if you could just point me towards my room."

"You can stay here," he said, gesturing towards the large room. "I will visit again in the morning. Do not leave until I have returned."

"Okay," I agreed. Loki made a move to kiss me but he only caught my brown hair as I walked towards the bed.


	5. The Next Day

Despite still being extremely weirded out, I actually had a very good nights sleepin in the comfy bed in my room. When I awoke, I was horrified to see my jumpsuit no where in sight. Having sleep in my underwear for lack of pajamas, I wrapped a sheet around my slender body and search for a closet. When I finally did find a small room resembling a closet, there were no clothes to be found.

"I brought you some robes, Halle," said a voice as I turned around and screamed. There was Loki, holding some purple fabric, and completely unphased by the fact that I was wearing a sheet. Quickly, I grabbed the clothes and yelled at him to get out. The clothes he brought me consisted of a flowing dress, a lavender shawl, and a golden headband. Once I reluctantly put on the foreign outfit, I let Loki know I was suitable for his eyes.

"So," I said once we sat on the bed. "I have about a million questions about this place."

"I will answer them as best as I can," said Loki.

"First of all, are we on another continent? And why did we have to take the Bifrost to get here?"

"We are not in your realm," answered Loki. "The Bifrost is the only way to travel between realms."

"There it is again," I observed. "What's a realm."

Loki took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his raven hair. "It is hard to explain. It is almost like a completely different world. There are nine of them all together."

S.H.E.I.L.D. would be interested in this place I thought. "Okay, what's up with these clothes?" I gestured to the new attire donned as well. He stood up to show the entirity of his new outfit. Like mine, his was robe-like but was made of a thicker material, similar to leather. Patterened in green, black, and gold, I thought the leather robes made him look very handsome.

"You like them?" he asked. "They are the traditional garments of Asgard."

I nodded as if he was making sense when really I was still confused.

"I want to take a look around the city," I said, and made a move for the door. Loki quickly stepped in my way.

"No," he said, I was taken aback by his abruptness. "I mean...I have a better way to see the area. Don't move!" Soon, Loki was gone and I was forced to wait. Suddenly, I heard the familiar jingle of my S.H.E.I.L.D. cell phone. I frantically looked around and found it under my bed with my jumpsuit. I quickly answered the phone, amazed at how Asgard could have such great cell reception.

"Hello?" I asked, tentatively.

"Halle!"

"Summy?"

"I thought I'd lost you for sure," Summy confessed breathlessly.

"I'm fine," I assured. "Really, I can take care of myself."

"Where the hell are you?"

"I'm in Asgard. It's nothing like the Earth; it's not even in our realm."

There was a pause. "Halle, why are you in Asgard?"

I took a deep breath before answering. "Because there was this guy who invited me. I was curious."

"A guy? You put your life on the line because you were curious?" Summy asked forcefully. "Did it ever cross your mind that this guy might be a rapist?"

"Of course it has," I answered, not sure how much time I had before Loki returned. "Look, Summy, I'm only here until the end of the day. And I told you, I can take care of myself."

"I'm telling Coulson."

"Summy, don't!" I panicked, hearing footsteps coming up the hall. "I love you." I closed the phone right as Loki entered the room.

"So, Halle," said Loki, oblivious to the phone call I just made, "ready to go?"


	6. Get Wet

"Yes," I answered. "Oh, and most people just call me Rhodie. Summy's the only person who really calls me Halle."

"This 'Summy'" said Loki, "Is he a friend of yours?"

"He's my fiance," I said. Loki suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"You are," Loki said slowly, "to be married?"

"Well, yeah," I answered.

That seemed to really get to Loki, because we didn't talk for the rest of the walk through the winding hallways of the castle. Oddly though, I noticed that there were no guards on duty or anything. We didn't pass a single person on the way to the flying boat. I instantly thought of what the man had said at the Bifrost. "_You should not have brought her" _I shivered.

Together we flew over the same area of the city I had seen last night except today it was more full of life. We kept soaring past the city and over a giant body of water. I turned the look at Loki steering and was instantly weakened by the way his hair flowed in the wind. He turned his eyes to meet mine and flashed a slow but flirtatious smile. I looked away and blushed.

He landed the ship at a small cove with a beach. As I dug my toes into the warm white sand, I noticed Loki setting out a blanket. He smiled and gestured to the cloth.

"Breakfast?" he asked. Realizing I was famished, I sat on the blanket and started to munch on some bread and scrambled eggs.

"Don't you have any prince-ly duties to be attending to right now?" I asked, eating a spoonful of fresh fruit.

"Not this early in the day," he answered. "I do have some plans this evening, though I wish not to partake in them."

I smiled, not sure how to continue the conversation.

"So, Halle," said Loki, emphasizing my name, "tell me about yourself. You've already learned much about my city."

"Um, okay," I said. "I grew up in California, where I was born." Loki looked confused. "It's like a small territory in Midgard." He nodded understandingly. "I have a brother-"

"Older or younger?" asked Loki with a seriousness that caught me off-guard.

"Older. His name's Bjorn. I don't see him often, he's currently working in Havanna, Cuba."

"Brothers can be a bother," murmured Loki.

"Sure, but they love us," I said, taking a sip of juice. "Bjorn and I used to fight all the time. It was almost our way of showing affection."

Loki didn't answer, so I let my eyes wander along the water, which looked especially beautiful. Just the thought of a dip stimulated my nerves.

"Wanna go swimming?" I asked, excitedly.

"What?" asked Loki. I threw off my shawl and began to take off my dress as I ran towards the water.

"C'mon, it'll be fun!" I shouted. My feet hit the cold water and I shivered in my black bra and underwear. Not from the chill of the water, but the sensation the liquid gave me.

"Halle, come back," Loki called, running after me.

"You're going to have to come and get me!" I shouted, laughing as I waded deeper and deeper into the water.

"Halle!" he called. Finally, he timidly began to wade into the water.

"C'mon!" I invited, holding out my hand. With a smile, Loki took my hand. "Gotcha!" I screamed, and pulled him into the water. We laughed and splashed and, for the first time, I was actually beginning to warm up to him.

Suddenly, something wrapped around my foot and pulled me underwater. I had just enough time to scream before I was engulfed into the waves. I tried to fight and kick my legs, but I only sunk farther. I was panicking; I hadn't been fully engulfed in water since I went to China. I felt my consciousness slipping away. Just before everything went black, my foot was released and I felt a body pulling me towards the surface. When we surfaced, I was coughing and splashing and on the verge of tears, something that did come easy to a woman in my line of work.

"Easy, Halle," soothed Loki, carrying me onto the sand. I took some deep breaths and coughed before I could speak.

"W-w-what was that?" I asked, still in a little shock.

"An eel native to Asgard," answered Loki, stroking my face. "They are not usually this near to the coast." He took our picnic blanket and wrapped it around my soaking body. It was then that I noticed blood on his left forearm.

"You're hurt," I observed, moving in for a better look.

"It's nothing but a scratch," he said. "I'll have it looked at when we return to the castle later."

My frigid body went tense. "Later?"

"Yes," he smiled. "You did express an interest in the town, so I have decided to grant your wish."

I smiled, suddenly excited thinking about how jealous everybody back at S.H.E.I.L.D. would be. We redressed and once again, embarked the ship.


	7. Into the Evening

Even though I had to keep reminding myself that I was in a strange place with a strange man, I would be lying if I didn't say I had the best afternoon of my life. Suddenly, Asgard felt like I had known it for a lifetime and Loki was no longer just a creepy man I had just met yesterday. I felt comfortable around him, enjoying his sensitive but dangerous presence. He acted in a manner so thoughtful and precis, that it was as if he thought carefully about everything he did. His aura was in such contrast with Summy, I didn't know what to think.

Summy was, well, predictable. The first time we met, I could read him like a book. Bjorn introduced us at a S.H.E.I.L.D. employee party and at the time, I thought predictable was the right way to go. After I returned from four years in China and diving head-first into a job at S.H.E.I.L.D., it felt nice having some balance in my life.

But maybe that's why I decided to come with Loki. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being with Summy, but the thought of his routines annoyed me. I wanted something new, and if a handsome man from another world wasn't unpredictable, nothing was.

The Asgardian market was the highlight of my afternoon. We laughed, shopped, and wandered around the streets, all the while Loki's arm around my hip keeping me close. As we walked, I couldn't help notice people giving Loki looks of sympathy. Eyes would tear up and smiles would fall as we walked by.

"Peace to the king," said one shopkeeper.

"Loki," I asked, "why does everyone look so sad?"

"It is my father, Odin Borson," Loki answered. "He has fallen very ill."

I stop and see his eyes filled with pain and sorrow. "I'm so sorry," I whispered. He didn't answer, but I can see why he needed my company.

The cool breeze reminds us that evening is approaching, so we return to the castle. In my room, we feast on wine and a type of meat I had never had before. After we both eat our fill, Loki rose.

"I must go," he said. " My services are required in the throne room."

"Wait!" I called, also rising. "Before you go." I moved closer to him standing in the doorway. "I never thanked you for saving my life."

Loki smiled. "I could not just let you drown."

"But seriously," I said sensually, "thank you for everything today."

Then, out of pure impulse, I kissed him. This one was different than the one yesterday, it felt _right_. He sunk in, running his fingers down my dress as I ran mine through his hair. His lips moved from my mouth to my neck and I gasped for more.

"Halle," he whispered. "I really do have to go."

"No," I breathed.

"I will return," he said, and I consented, letting him leave while I sat alone on the bed. I sighed, my daze interrupted by the chirp of my cell phone. I clawed under the bed until I answered it.

"Hello?"

"Agent Rhodes?"

"Speaking."

"It's Agent Coulson." I breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't Summy. "Sumner told me you're in Asgard?"

I grimaced. "Sir, I can explain."

"Well it just so happens that our 0-8-4 derives from Asgard."

I paused. "Would you like me to ask about it, sir?"

"No," answered Coulson, quickly. "We've already found the owner: an Asgardian named Thor." Suddenly, Coulson paused. "Rhodie, how did you get to Asgard?"

"A man took me here."

"And what's this mans name?"

"Loki," I answered.

There was a pause on the other end, and for a second, I thought Coulson had hung up. But then he spoke. "Rhodie, you need to leave now."

I was taken aback, "What? Why?"

"If this is the Loki I'm thinking it is, he is a very dangerous man. You need to report back to Earth immediately."

I paused, taking in what I had just heard. "No."

"Rhodie."

"He's good. I promise. I don't believe you!"

"This is an order, Agent Rhodes."

"I'll prove it, Coulson," I begged. "Besides, he's taking me home at the end of the day. Just give me until then!"

"Okay," Coulson said. "I'll oblige, but I can't say the same for Sumner.

The phone clicked and I cursed; Summy was the last person I wanted to see here. I hoped he do anything drastic; communications agents were not as tough as combat agents. I sighed and flopped on the bed, wondering what to do next. I smiled to myself and thought _what the hey, I've only got a couple of hours left._

Loki returned and, for some reason, I could see he felt more confident somehow. When he saw me, he grinning mischievously.

"Now where were we?"

We threw ourselves at each other, kissing and tearing off each others clothes. Once we were both in our underwear, Loki picked me up and carried me to the bed, kissing me all the way. He was hot and intense, and I wanted all of it. As he took off my bra, a thought flashed through my mind of Summy and the fact that he might be coming here. Loki must have read my mind because he whispered in my ear, "forget about him."


	8. The Morning After

I was still breathing heavy when we finished. Loki continued to gently kiss my neck as I curled into his warm chest.

"The twenty-four hours are up," I murmured jokingly.

"Well," whispered Loki, brushing a piece of my tangled hair out of my eyes. "You could always stay."

Just as I let that thought sink in, the door to my room broke down and a blonde, muscular man with armor stormed in, followed by-

"Summy!" I gasped, covering my naked body in a sheet.

"Halle?" his face in total pain and shock.

"I can explain," I said.

"Who is she, Loki?" asked the blonde, pointing at me. Loki got up from the bed and was suddenly fully clothed.

"None of your business, Thor," said Loki through gritted teeth.

"It is my business brother," said the man who was apparently Thor. "You cannot just bring a Midgardian here!"

"Halle," said Summy, "we're leaving." He stepped in my direction and I could see Loki tense up.

"Do not touch her," said Loki, almost growling.

"Well I'm not sure if you're aware," fumed Summy, "but Halle is engaged to me."

Loki stepped towards Summy as if challenging him. "I am indeed aware, but if you take one more step towards her, I will have no choice but to hurt you."

I gasped, seeing where this was going, and quickly threw on my dress.

"Stop!" I shouted, coming between Summy and Loki.

"Enough brother," said Thor, putting his hand on Loki's shoulder. "Stop this madness."

"I will deal with you later," said Loki, turning and punching Thor square in the face. The man flew back, unconscious.

"Loki!" I cried.

He turned away from his injured brother. "He will be fine." He turned to Summy. "I cannot say the same for you."

I was faced with a dilemma. Stay with Loki in this beautiful city, knowing the man beside me loved me more than anything, but feel totally out of place. Or I could go back with Summy and continue the great life I had with my family and job. Being a combat agent, I always had to learn to follow my instincts and not my heart; emotions were too complicated and got in the way in my line of work. I knew what I had to do.

"Loki," I whispered, "I'm so sorry. I can't stay with you."

I instantly saw the pain in his eyes and it hit a nerve in my heart. I took his face in my hands. "I have to go back," I said, holding back tears. "I belong back there."

"No," whimpered Loki.

"I love you," I whispered, and kissed his forehead. I turned away quickly to hide my tears and saw Summy holding out his arms and smiling proudly, as if he had just won a major award. i did not meet his embrace, but instead walked out of the room quickly and then started running. I could hear the click of Summy's shoes behind me, but I was faster. I ran and ran, my head filled with emotions, wondering how I could fall in love with a prince I had just met.

I didn't stop until I had reached the Bifrost, and Summy followed soon after.

"Halle," he said. "I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything," I said, not making eye contact.

"Why are you mad at me?" asked Summy, pulling my face to look at him. "I wasn't the one who ran away and slept with a Norse God."

"Summy not now," I said sternly.

"Did you even think of me at all?" he asked. "For one second, did you ever remember there was a man back home who loved you?"

"Of course I did," I snapped.

"Then why, Halle?" asked Summy in disbelief.

I almost lost it and told him the real reason. Because he was so incredibly boring that I couldn't stand it. But I couldn't tell him, not now when he's unstable.

"You wouldn't understand," I answered, dismissing his question. "How did you even get here?"

"I came with Thor," said Summy. "It's a long story, but I'm sure Coulson will fill you in when we get back."

I was silent when we entered the gold glass room. The black man with the sword was nowhere to be seen, but I thought nothing of it as we approached the area that brought us here. When we approached, it began to spin and the sound of the chimes came back.

"You'll want to hold on," I said flatly, and Summy wrapped his hands around my waist. Just as we were about to jump into the portal, I turned to get one last look at Asgard.

And there he was, with the same pained expression as when I left him. His eyes were wide and his mouth looked like he was going to say something. He was now wearing a gold helmet with two long, curved horns. I turned away again, knowing it was too late to change my mind, and we jumped into the portal.


	9. A Rescue and A Promise

When we arrived back the S.H.E.I.L.D. facility, it was nighttime, even though it was early morning when we left Asgard. The lights of the research center lit out path, as Summy and I walked in silence.

No sooner had I stepped foot inside when I was immediately called into Coulson's office. I embarrassingly sat in my Asgardian dress and looked at Coulson's stone expression.

"I warned you, Rhodie," said Coulson.

"I know, sir," I said, my eyes on the ground.

"You risked your life just to provide companionship to a dangerous alien," said Coulson. "You're a smart girl. What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't, sir."

Coulson scoffed. "That was apparent."

"Am I going to be punished?" I asked.

"No," he said. "But you are going to be relocated." I looked up. "You and Agent Sumner are the only two agents who have been to Asgard. After this incident with Thor, we're going to need more information on the place. I'm sending you to headquarters, where you'll be questioned about your experiences and used to gather more information about the place. But you're not fired."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, sir."

I got up to leave, but then turned around. "Sir, what happened here with Thor?"

Coulson paused, then answered briskly. "Loki sent a droid to destroy Thor and this town."

My hand went to my mouth. "No, he wouldn't."

"Turns out you prince wasn't as princely as you thought." I turned around and Summy was standing in the doorway. Containing my anger, I pushed past Summy and ran to my room. I slammed the door and collapsed into a heap of tears. I cried and let out all the emotions I had been holding in for the whole night, my pillow getting more damp with every passing minute.

When I finished up the box of tissues, I figured I should shower, since I hadn't since before I was in Asgard. I let the water wash over me as I composed myself, realizing what was done was done and there was no going back. Even though Loki turned my world upside-down. I was forced to act as though it remained spinning. These thoughts ran through my head as I wrapped a towel around my torso and exited the bathroom.

I almost dropped my towel in surprise when I saw a very angry Summy standing in the middle of my room.

"Summy?" I said, both angry and surprised. "What are you doing here? How'd you get in here?"

"Do you still love me, Halle?" asked Summy, manically.

"What?" I said, taken aback. "Summy, what-"

"Don't play stupid, I know you don't," he interrupted.

I looked into his eyes. They were so filled with pain and hurt, I couldn't bare it. "I'm so sorry," I whispered.

"You did love me, once," he stated, walking towards me slowly.

"You know I did," I commented, preparing myself as best I could in a towel for a fight.

He kept walking towards me until he was so close I could smell his sweat. He put his hands on my shoulders and I tried to pull away. "You just need to remember," he said, his voice low.

Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around my back and shoved his lips onto mine. I fought against him, but Summy was stronger than I was. He moved his hands down and tugged at the back of my towel. Alarmed, I kicked him in the kneecaps, which loosened his grip enough for me to escape his grasp. If Summy was angry before, he was livid now, charging directly at me. I threw punches and deflected Summy's, freeing my mind to focus. He flipped me on a table, and as he bent down to throw another punch, I grabbed his hand and twisted his arm. While he grimaced, I pulled his arm back farther. But I didn't take into account his other arm, which swung around and hit me in the back of the head. I fell to the floor, clutching my towel and breathing heavy. Summy walked next to me and I swung my leg around, taking out his. He fell to the ground, groaning, but making no effort to get up. I quickly ran to my bedroom and threw on a t-shirt and shorts, but when I poked my head out the door, Summy was gone.

I felt a sharp tug on my hair as I was pulled towards my bed. Summy threw me on the bed, strattling me and using his body weight to pin me down. I saw the insanity in his eyes and realized the James Sumner I once knew was gone and replaced with a very desperate man.

"Summy, get off of me," I gasped.

"No," he said, almost laughing. "Not until you remember."

Suddenly an arm grabbed Summy's shoulder, pulling him off of me. I gasped.

"I told you not to touch her." Loki raised his fist and punched Summy straight across the face. He collapsed into a heap off of my bed.

"Loki," I cried, tackling him in a hug and decorating his face with kisses. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't let that low life hurt you," he answered. I blushed, and a thankful tear ran down my cheek.

Loki smiled and touched my head softly, a pain shooting through my skull. "You're bleeding," he observed.

I touched my head, feeling where one of Summy's punches made contact. "It's not a big deal. I'll go to the infirmary later."

He stroked my shoulder slowly, his eyes dancing around my face as if he was taking in everything for the first time. "I can't stay for long."

I smiled, but all of a sudden remembering what Coulson told me: about the robot, the destruction, about Thor. It couldn't have been him.

"Loki," I said, uncomfortably. "Did you really want to destroy this town and your brother?"

His expression turned to stone. I knew that I was wrong.

"But why?" I asked. "He's your brother."

"You don't know him like I do," Loki mumbled. I wrapped my arms around him. I didn't care what Coulson said or what he did. He saved me from a man hell-bent on making me love him, he took me on the journey of my life.

_He genuinely loved me._

I wanted nothing more than to be with him, whether it be right now or forever.

"When will I see you again," I breathed, burying my face into his neck.

"I do not know," he sighed, holding me close. "The Bifrost has been destroyed. It will make traveling between world very difficult."

I sniffled and pulled my face back to look into his eyes for quite possibly the very last time. "But you will come back."

Loki, touched my face. "Here is my promise."

Our lips met in a way so gentle, I feared to move and break the connection. But with a shimmer of green light, his lips vanished, and I was left alone.


End file.
